538 East 142nd Street, Bronx, NY 10454

At 538 East 142nd Street in Mott Haven, this 4-story, 8-unit residential building constructed in 2018 by owner Jacob Brach is currently experiencing multiple ongoing maintenance issues as of May 2025. The building has several open complaints with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) including problems with doors/windows, intercom systems, flooring, ceilings, and a water leak, all of which have required tenant cooperation for inspections and repairs.

The property has also had recent sanitation concerns, with a rodent sighting reported in April 2025 that led to follow-up inspections indicating rodent activity in multiple inspections throughout 2025, suggesting an ongoing pest control issue. Previous years have shown similar maintenance challenges, including a heat/hot water issue in February 2025, multiple water leak complaints, and interior maintenance needs such as plaster and paint repairs. The building's past history shows compliance inspections revealing various code violations during construction in 2019, including issues with construction safety compliance, fire safety equipment, and housekeeping standards, though these were generally resolved.

Apartment 3A has been the primary focus of multiple violations regarding water leaks, plaster repairs, and carbon monoxide detector requirements, while apartment 3B had issues with mold and rodent infestation identified in mid-2024. Despite these challenges, the building has maintained a record of no bedbug infestations reported in the past five years, and all construction-related ECB violations from 2019 were eventually resolved, though some penalties were imposed for safety compliance issues during construction. Two ECB violations from 2019 regarding failure to certify corrections on hazardous violations were dismissed when downgraded to lower classes.